What is Forever?
by aaralynsedai
Summary: Sort of connected one shots dealing with Clark Kent's immortality
1. End of an Era

**AU Tess Mercer never died and continued on as CEO of LuthorCorp and Chief Editor of the Daily Planet**

**I have this fascination with Clark Kent and Superman's immortality, and if Clark lives forever and how do they deal with his agelessness and his life beyond Lois. Most of the stories in this set will deal with Clark's apparently never ending life. Also fair warning the only thing I know about the Superman lore is what I watched in Smallville. I've never read any of the comics, feel free to correct me if I get something ****horrendously wrong. **

**Standard Disclaimers **

Although technically both Lois and Clark worked at the Daily Planet, Lois was the main moneymaker in their household. After all, she was the Pulitzer Prize winner and world-renowned journalist. Clark was around the office so little that the new interns barely recognized his face; they only knew his name because it was under Lois' on their office door. And although Lois made a very good salary, the only reason they weren't constantly looking over their expenses was because Superman had a lot of very wealthy benefactors who were very interested in his success. The only reason Clark hadn't been fired from the Daily Planet yet was because Tess was still their boss, and she knew he had more pressing demands then the next day's headlines, she also just happened to be one of Superman's wealthy benefactors.

However, they had been employees of the Daily Planet for around 32 years now, and Clark's face was beginning to become more and more recognizable, not because they were connecting the geeky, clumsy Clark Kent to Superman but because he hadn't visibly aged in the last 25 years. It was becoming a big problem and Clark, Lois and Tess all knew it.

* * *

Eventually Tess called Clark into her office at the Daily Planet.

The two of them sat in silence for a while after Clark had taken his post in the leather chairs opposite her, both of them sensing that this would be the last time they would be in this position.

"I guess it's time," Clark finally said, breaking their silence.

"I'm afraid so. Your youthful appearance has become too noticeable," Tess replied.

"Is this meeting you officially firing me?"

"You're opting for an early retirement."

There was a moment of silence then Clark said, "I feel old."

"At least you don't need to look for a backup job." Tess quipped back.

Clark grinned then sobered, "You tell Lois?"

"We both agreed that this was for the best last night at Watchtower."

"Making decisions about me, without me?"

"It's for your own good."

"I could always start again at the bottom."

"Not at the Daily Planet, not in Metropolis, not with the name Clark Kent. You can try again in a couple decades with a new name."

Dead silence greeted her words as they both thought about the implications.

"I guess I've always known I will outlive everyone, but it's becoming so real."

"You better have Chloe make you a couple fake identities." Tess responded pragmatically.

Clark opened his mouth to respond but before any words could come out there was a knock on Tess' door.

"Come in." She said lifting her voice only slightly.

Clark was already rising, sticking his hand out to shake Tess'.

"It's been a pleasure working for you Mrs. Mercer."

"Thank you for all your years of hard work Mr. Kent. I am positive you will go above and beyond in all your next endeavors."

He gave her a slight grin in acknowledgement and then turned to go, passing Tess' assistant as he whooshed out the door.

* * *

He was sitting at the kitchen table when Lois finally got home late from work. She sighed when she saw him and sat down next to him.

"Tess and I talked today. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh Smallville, We both know what is happening, and we need to start preparing for the future now. I know that, even if you are unwilling to accept it.

"Lois." Clark turned to look her and caressed his hand down her face as he admired the grey streaks in her hair and felt the fine creases that had begun to develop along her laugh lines. "How could I ever be willing to accept the fact that one day you will be taken away from me?"

Lois looked back with the same steadiness she's always had into the handsome face of her husband that hadn't changed since he was 30, "Clark I will always be with you, just maybe not physically, and now you need to take a step back from your dual lives and focus on being Superman, because I can't risk Clark Kent's secret being revealed because he looks too young for his age."

"What am I going to do without you?"

"We don't have to worry about that yet. And besides you won't ever be truly alone, the kids will always be around."

Clark smiled at Lois, "I love you," he placed a light kiss on her lips, "I will love you forever."

The End.


	2. Unforeseen Consequences

**In my mind they would notice Clark not aging around the time he turned 45, so this is the year 2032. By the way I've made up my own time line in my head which I am basing Clark's age and the years around. My start year is 1987, where I put Clark's birth date.**

**Standard Disclaimers Apply**

* * *

"Well it appears your cells have simply stopped aging."

"I'm sorry, what now?" Lois replied incredulously.

"Clark's cells have stopped aging." Emil repeated.

"Yes I get that, but how?" Lois snapped back.

"How does Clark do anything Clark does?" Emil responded evenly, looking once again through the microscope with Clark's cells on it, then after a moment. "However, it appears my initial assumption was wrong. Your cells haven't stopped aging completely, they are simply aging so slowly it might be years before you feel or look any older than you do now. Once you reached full maturity they must have just slowed down."

"Can I see?" Clark asked.

"They're your cells." Emil said stepping away.

Clark pulled the slide out from under the microscope and focused using his microvision. "What am I looking for exactly?"

"Do you see how slowly your cells are dividing?" Emil asked.

"Yes."

"Do you see that when they finally finish dividing the news cells look exactly like the old cells?"

"Yes."

"Well in regular human bodies, cells divide at a very fast, constant rate, and the new cells are always slightly more worn than the old cells. At its simplest explanation this is the process by which we age. Of course there is a lot more to it than that, involving different chemicals the body secretes and other human body functions, but your body simply doesn't do that." Emil explained.

"What did you mean by years?" Lois asked anxiously. "How many years might it be before Clark starts to show signs of aging?"

Emil grimaced, "Well based on my rough calculations, it might be around 100 years before Clark's cells have degenerated enough for him to feel even 10 years older than he does now."

Dead silence.

"100 years from now, or a 100 years from when I reached full maturity." Clark finally asked, putting the slide down.

"It's hard to say, my calculations aren't precise enough for that." Emil responded with a sigh.

"So let's say, based on your calculations, that Clark's body ages 10 years about every 100 years, starting from the time he reached maturity. That means then Clark will live for about 600 more years, but only if we base his lifespan off an average human's lifespan." Lois said slowly her voice growing louder with each word.

Emil nodded, "that's about right."

The three of them stood there, taking in the enormity of this new information.

Clark could hear sirens wailing in the distance but couldn't tear himself away from this moment, from this information, from this new reality they had just found themselves in. But then screams penetrated through the fog in his head from where ever the sirens were headed to, and he knew help wasn't going to get there in time.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Clark said quickly and then was gone in a blur.

Lois and Emil remained in place staring at each other.

"For someone who has almost forever, he sure does do things in a hurry." Emil deadpanned.

That made Lois laugh, laugh until she cried. Emil held her as she sobbed for the many lifetimes Clark would live alone, and for the lost dreams of them growing old together. Emil held her until Clark returned to take his place, when the tears dried up; they just stood there clinging to each as if they could stay in this moment forever.

The End.


	3. Identities

**AU Tess wasn't killed by Lex and continued on as CEO and Chief Editor of the Daily Planet. In my time line Clark is about 345 it's the year 2332. **

Chloe had set up over 100 identities for Clark's use. They were hidden, highly encrypted, in the depths of Watchtower's database, so no matter how many humans or team members came through they would never find them. They were coded only to Clark, to activate them he only had to choose one out of the Watchtower database, pick a birth date age and enter in the current year then upload it into the Internet. Each one was uniquely programmed, to be untraceable both to Watchtower and any one of the other identities. From there it would bury into all and any databases, creating a high school diploma, a college degree for any field Clark needed, social security number, passport, drivers license and then print out all necessary documents and data Clark required for his new life. Clark also had access to an unlimited supply of funds in offshore accounts set up by Chloe, Oliver and Tess that would continue accumulating money for as long as Clark needed. Together the team had prepared for a millions of different possibilities and lives Clark would encounter and live. No one had any idea for how long Clark would live, or for how long he would need multiple identities, how long it would be until the second one disappeared and he was simply Superman.

(He had done that once, dropped any second identity and had just been Superman. It was a good 30 years for Superman, as he helped the world steer clear of wars, saved tsunami and hurricane victims, and countless others, but it was a bad 30 years for Clark's own peace of mind. He hadn't done it again since.)

Clark looked down at the documents in his hand, according to these he was Jonathan Jones, a 92 year old retired crime scene cleaner. It was time for a change. Clark incinerated them with a glance and then turned to scroll through the database of identities he had not yet used. Many of the names were some combination of people's names he had known, like Jonathan Jones. Thinking about Chloe he scrolled to the Sullivan section...

Connor Sullivan

Jonathan Sullivan

Oliver Sullivan

Ryan Sullivan...

The list went on and on. Clark never used the same last name twice in a row, and it had been a couple identities ago he had last used Sullivan. It was a good thing Chloe had made so many, several times now he had changed identities before his current one "died" because someone had figured out his identity or the suspicions were becoming too great.

Clark knew that was because he had been sloppy sometimes. Without Lois, Tess, and Chloe to help divert people's suspicions sometimes people figured his secret out. Of course he had new human team members and other immortal friends and his many times great grandchildren, but they weren't around all the time and he was older than most of them anyway, he should be able to take care of himself.

Clark picked a name at random, filled in the necessary details, and waited for the documents to print. Louis Sullivan was 25, fresh of college with a degree in journalism. Clark hadn't been a reporter since Lois. The thought of returning to the bullpen was sobering, but despite his personal apprehensions, it was time to get back to work.


	4. Easy to Love

**I'm intrigued by Lois and Tess' relationship. In Luthor (10x10) they didn't appear to be very good friends or really get along but then by Fortune (10x15) they were obviously friends but we didn't get to see the evolution of their relationship. This is my take on them becoming friends. **

**Standard Disclaimers Apply**

* * *

Sometimes Lois would catch Tess just staring at Clark. It was a mixture of the way Lex or Lionel used to stare, evaluating, speculating at what lay beneath the surface, what secrets was he keeping, the Luthor stare. And the way Martha looked at Clark as a parent who had a child who got in far too much mischief. And the way Lois herself looked at Clark, as a lover, as someone who worried whether he would come home to her at the end of the night.

Lois had always known Tess loved Clark, or at least felt an attraction to him that went beyond mere friendship. But she thought it was the love of a hero, of what Clark had and could accomplish, not necessarily love of the Clark Kent the man. Lois definitely never thought Tess would act on it, and in truth she hadn't, not really. Tess had iron clad self-control and she knew Clark didn't see her like that and was completely faithful to Lois. But there was something oddly right about watching "Clark" grab Tess and kiss her possessively. Someone who was watching this but didn't know the players could have said, yes those two people belong together. Lois wouldn't even be exaggerating if she said in another life they would be perfect for each other. Lois could see Tess relax into the kiss, enjoying a momentary taste of something forbidden yet desired, and then suddenly stiffen and pull away.

"Enjoying the show?" Tess' dry voice came from behind her.

Lois didn't even jump, just casually turned to stare at Tess where she stood in the middle of Watchtower, right where Clark Luthor had knelt just a couple hours ago. "What happened?"

Evidently that was not what Tess had been expecting to hear, "What do you mean?"

Lois nodded towards the screen where the scene was continuing to play with no sound. "Just then you seemed to be enjoying your self and then you pulled away. Why?"

"So you're interested not in why I am apparently enjoying a make out session with what all intents and purposes appears to be your fiancé, but why I stopped?"

"Yes." Lois replied simply and waited.

Tess stared at Lois as if she was a strange creature she had never encountered before. "Then I suppose you already know why I didn't protest."

Lois glanced towards the screen then back, "I see the way you look at him. I don't hate you for it, you can't help yourself. Clark is very easy to love."

Tess' eyes widened only for a moment before her neutral expression was back in place. "I can't apologize."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

Tess gave a minute nod, "I pulled away because I felt the scar on his arm."

Lois turned to face the screen completely where the scene in Tess' office was coming to an end as Tess began frantically calling Lois. "That will help us identify Clark Luthor in the future, should he ever come back."

They both stood in Watchtower in silence, listening to the hum of monitors and the faint crackle of the police blotter.

"Please don't tell Clark." Tess said in voice that could almost be called begging, taking a couple steps towards Lois.

"Why would he need to know?" Lois responded reassuringly, turning and tentatively crossed the remaining distance and to put a hand on Tess' shoulder.

Tess looked at the hand and then at Lois and smiled encouragingly.

"I think you and I will spend the majority of our time protecting Clark from things he doesn't need to know." Lois said.

Tess gave a watery laugh in response, "I think you would find that Clark would say that was his job."

"Men always do." Lois said as she dropped her hand

Tess then strode to turn the monitor off. "Come on let's leave the work for another day and go grab a cup of coffee."

"Aren't you supposed to be telling me to get to work," Lois said jokingly, "boss?"

"Not here. Not ever. Here we are equals." Tess responded without missing a beat.

Lois stared calculatingly at Tess, who returned her gaze unflinchingly, then said, "Okay then, where do you want to get that coffee?"


End file.
